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While using it's own LTE band is a good goal... why not start with using existing LTE? In other words, why not use the internet? It would automatically include every phone, tablet, and computer... and it wouldn't have specific hardware requirements.

So what's the difference? Still looks useless to most right? Well, let's combine it with some other "metadata", like the tower's coordinate locations. We now have a vague idea of where they have been. Let's also analyze the numbers called and received... over time you can view someone's social circle. Throw in other user's data as well and you can start to predict data. The more data there is the more accurate the result.

The IP Address can be used the same way. Join the IP Address with some network logs (which they also collect) and you have a pretty good idea of what web sites they have been to. Combine the IMEI (which is essentially the phone's network ID) with customer records and you have a name, SSN, etc..

Regardless of whether it's constitutional, it needs stronger provisions in place to limit how long this data can be stored, for whom, where (what if this data was leaked to a malicious 3rd party?), etc..

It actually makes perfect sense... knowledge is power, so if you know everything, you're all powerful. That said, it doesn't make it right and/or legal. Humans tend to be power hungry, and once they get that power it's much easier to abuse it. For those that say they don't care if the government hears their calls... well, what if what you said was used to blackmail you? Actually, you don't even have to say it... they could literally use your call records and piece together you saying something you never said.

There's a point where it's too far. If I wasn't a US citizen I'd probably be even more pissed. Companies & ISPs should be required to respect their privacy policy regardless of what the government wants from them. Real criminals know how to use encryption anyway, so it's irrelevant.

I'm kinda wondering if that was his intent from the beginning. Surely he didn't think he could win trying to claim MMS is like file sharing, although P2P over MMS would be an interesting idea and could be possible but it'd be pretty slow.

I'd have to agree. I'd also have to agree with them shutting it down... not because I didn't use Google Reader, but because they put practically no effort into it. There was no solid API and it was full of bugs after their latest update to it. If they weren't going to put the effort in then I would rather them kill it and let everyone move on to another service that actually get's actively updated. Google makes this simple by letting you easily export your data, and other services have quickly taken advantage of this... so this whole "cloud service shutdown" crap is over-exaggerated. Now, if it was cut off randomly with no warning, kinda like Megaupload, then yeah I'd fully understand.

This doesn't just apply to Google... but any cloud service. As long as they provide you with a way out and (if applicable) a refund, then it's not something to freak out about.

It's time for a JSON version of RSS/Atom feeds anyway. Can't stand XML... JSON is easier to parse, easier to read, smaller in size, and faster.

You have to be kidding... Corporations have the money to pay people off, or pay for campaigns. Not counting the already-corrupt people in office. Transparency and some sort of cap/limit on how much money a company can keep in the bank, even if this is done through taxes.

Still won't fix it, but it will make it harder to hide. Why is the CIA allowed to have corporations anyway? The government shouldn't be allowed in the corporate sector.

The problem with marijuana is that you can't stop the distribution of it. Anyone can grow it. Indoors, outdoors, whatever. It's extremely simple to do, but the more attention you pay to it the better it will be.

I agree. Plus it's ALWAYS going to depend on the person. Some people drink and get crazy mad. Others just chill. Some can actually drive drunk, others can barely drive sober.

The US tried restricting alcohol a long time ago, and how did that turn out? More or less the same. There were underground "cartels" distributing it. People can get there hands on it either way, and if they're wanting to do it they will legal or not. The same way people abuse pills like Xanax, Vicodin (sp?), Adderall, etc..

Actually, some "drugs" are probably safer than what is already legal. Marijuana in my opinion is less dangerous than alcohol. It also reduces violence. As for the more hardcore drugs, let em do it. Don't waste police resources arresting someone that hasn't done anything (yet), if they want to kill themselves then more power to them. Merely having the substance on you should not be enough.